There are some writers who never do the same thing twice. Two books is probably not enough to say there is a pattern, but it was a surprise to find the follow up to Adam Oyebanji’s space opera debut Braking Day is a contemporary murder mystery with a bit of spy thriller thrown in for…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 25 November 2022. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Alela Diane has released her sixth studio album, Looking Glass. This is Diane’s first new album in more than four years. Diane grew up in the winding rivers and golden hillsides of Nevada City,…
As children, what do we fear the most? That the boogie man will get us. It is from that dark place that Monsters comes. It is all about the fear of the dark and the perception of visions in the blackness. It is a scary tale writ large. Monsters starts with acclaimed actor Alison Whyte wandering out in front…
The stakes are high from the outset of Queensland Theatre’s blockbuster season closer First Casualty. This is not just because of the play’s grounding in reality as the debut work from serving soldier and Afghanistan veteran Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Johnston CSC, but also because of its initial action. That sees Sapper “Thommo” Ken (Reagan Mannix)…
The artistic merger of Pixar and Disney is just about complete. While the business merger was done long ago, both Disney and Pixar have been producing distinctly different product. But now Disney has released Strange World, a Pixar movie in all but name. Under the direction of Don Hall (Raya and the Last Dragon) and…
Luca Guadagnino is a singular filmmaker. After three intimate dramas in I am Love (2009), A Bigger Splash (2015) and Call Me By Your Name (2017), he pivoted to the blood-soaked remake of Suspiria (2018). Now he’s back with Bones and All, a film that merges his gentle, lyrical style with another hefty dose of…
Singer/songwriter Natalie Mering performs under the moniker Weyes Blood, a name derived from her original stage name Wise Blood, taken from Flannery O’Connor’s debut novel. While her earliest works have been more experimental in nature, Mering has settled into a songwriting that recalls 70’s pop artists like Harry Nilsson and The Carpenters, her voice often…
Vulnerability and how to make it as an actor. That is what The Mentor is all about. Amanda Redfern (Amanda Muggleton) is noted for one feature film, but of late parts have been few and far between for the ageing starlet. She spent time in Los Angeles, but has no desire to return. Now she spends her days…
American cinema isn’t really noted for its absurdist films. They tends to linger around the edges of an industry dominated by other genres. But The Menu breaks that stereotype wide open; as director Mark Mylod delivers one of the most deliciously absurd – and brutal – black comedies of recent years. Mylod takes his audience…
After a break of 16 years (since 2006’s Pulitzer Prize winning The Road), award winning author Cormac McCarthy returns with a pair of connected novels. The first of these is The Passenger – centring on salvage diver Bobby Western. McCarthy sets the scene with a suicide, an event that is central to Bobby’s life. This…
